Building headers

[Kaleb]

I havent found anything satisfactory on how to build them. Is there a diagram to go by? or do I just try to bend the way I want them?

[crazyjim]

There should be a post in here somewhere about using solder to make headers. I'd tell you exactly where but I'm not too good on searches.

[MikeMc]

Tough stuff.......

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=30628&st=0&p=302455&hl=building%20headers%20from%20solder&fromsearch=1&#entry302455

[Kaleb]

Thanks, ive seen this before...not able to trust myself enough to drill into the heads. I was going to build a metal piece to glue onto the block and tie them in that way.

[Eric Stone]

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=32561&view=findpost&p=324935

Check out my '66 Nova build thread too.

Don't be scared to drill into the heads. Just use a drill bit large enough to allow you to get your Xacto into the hole you drilled. I used a #61 bit, the biggest in the set of little bits I have. Then I spun the Xacto blade tip in the hole all the way around so that it scraped out the hole to the right diameter. Stop periodically to see if the solder will slip into the hole. I didn't want it to be too loose, because I wanted the hole to help hold the solder in place.

One thing I noticed on a few builds on that other thread is the lack of flanges at the head. It's great that the tubes stay in place just being stuck in the holes, but it doesn't look realistic. (EDIT: I looked again, and I think those are in-progress shots, so I assume the builder hasn't added the flanges yet..? No offense to whoever built those.) Study pics of real headers, and you'll see they all have some kind of flange, either one across all exhaust ports, or individual ones for each port, but there's gotta be something to bolt them onto the head with. The flange isn't that hard to build. You can kinda see my process of making them. Just drill them out like you do the exhaust ports, and make the holes just big enough for the solder to slip all the way through. Plus, if you damage the head while you're drilling it out, the flange could help hide some of that.

HTH

Edited July 13, 2010 by Eric Stone

[MikeMc]

Josh, Eric is correct...it is not that tricky. I generally do not do flanges...they do show up in pictures and are easy to do.Look in your stash and find a block that looks easy to do, find a 1:1 picture on Google or ask here for a link...then drill it out.....remember its plastic...a little tenax and sprue....you can start over!!!

this is a SBC easy to find the ports and drill!

Edited July 14, 2010 by MikeMc

[coopdad]

Mike is right, don't worry about drilling but I would drill very small holes (pilot holes) first to be sure you get the hole in the correct location.

When you are looking at the header photos you will notice that the pipe lengths are (or should be) all the same. If they aren't they won't look real.

unpainted solder:

with paint:

John

[Eric Stone]

...don't worry about drilling but I would drill very small holes (pilot holes) first to be sure you get the hole in the correct location....

Just wanted to add, that's one reason I drill a small hole to start with, then open it up with the Xacto- If you use a drillbit that's just the right size for the solder, then miss your location by a little bit, then you've messed up. You can drill the small hole as close to the middle of the exhaust port as you can, and if it's off a little, you can work it with the Xacto to get the hole centered up in the right spot by the time it's the correct size.

Edited July 14, 2010 by Eric Stone

[my80malibu]

Several years back Jairus Watson did an article on building some headers maybe you could e-mail him and maybe get some advice

[Harry P.]

I havent found anything satisfactory on how to build them. Is there a diagram to go by? or do I just try to bend the way I want them?

There's no one diagram because different headers look different! Depends on the engine, and the brand/style of headers you want to recreate. A google image search is your best friend...

[Kaleb]

As seen on a stromans sign "DUH" thanks lol I didnt think of looking for specificly "headers".

[Eric Stone]

...A google image search is your best friend...

Also check out www.jegs.com and www.summitracing.com. You can search for headers for the particular car you're building, and if they have them, then you can mimic the shape of those in the photo and maybe get them to fit your model a little better.

[MikeMc]

Several years back Jairus Watson did an article on building some headers maybe you could e-mail him and maybe get some advice

Those were for flatties......go to Jairus site.......

http://public.fotki.com/jairus/1/tips-and-tricks/